Be Where You Are – The Power of Flow

Every single day Meghann and I look at our vision boards, at the things we want to accomplish in our life; and we visualize the successful accomplishment of these goals. We see it in our minds as if it has already been accomplished. We then try to “feel” what it feels like to accomplish these goals because we know that when we can experience the feeling, an excitement is created which gives us motivation to push and fight towards our desired outcome.

We have discovered however, that our best results, in a given activity, come when we are completely focused on that given activity. We get the best results when we immerse ourselves in the moment of what we are doing – when we actually are (both in our minds and our bodies) exactly where we are supposed to be at that time.

Therefore if we are doing a party, then our entire focus is on that party and making it the best party possible. If we are doing a recruiting night then our entire focus is on the recruiting night and the needs of the people who are attending. If we are training our team then our entire focus is on the training and the needs of our team.

If we start to focus on our goals during an activity then we lose purpose, we start to act on results, and our actions are never as passionate, enthusiastic and effective as when we get off results and stay on purpose. Each action that you undertake in your business has a purpose. If you focus on that purpose, not on the results of your action, then ironically you will often get the best results.

This principle is known in psychology as “flow”. When you induce periods of flow you will also find that you enjoy the actions more then when you are engaging in actions with a focus solely on the results that you hope to obtain from the action. When you immerse yourself in the party, and engage fully with the participants you will find that you start enjoying parties. The same is true even for some of the activities that you may not particularly like. One of the primary reasons you dislike them is because you are focused on an externality – a result or consequence of the activity. When you get off result and focus on purpose then the enjoyment of the activity always enhances.

This principle isn’t just related to direct sales. If a professional athlete has his mind on something else during the game, he will never perform at the same level as the person who is immersed in the game. A pilot who isn’t immersed in the details of a flight poses a potential risk to her passengers. We all know that there is nothing more frustrating than being in a relationship and trying to connect with someone whose mind is obviously elsewhere.

So as you work your business this fall season, be exactly where you are when you are there. Don’t be worried about personal promotions, pay cheques or incentive trips when you are doing a party. Just do the best party that you can. Don’t be worried about hitting a recruiting goal or becoming a superstar director when you are talking to someone about the business opportunity. Just focus on them, their interests, their concerns, their needs. When you build this behavior into a habit ironically you will find that it will propel you closer and closer to your goals then when you focus on results.